View full sizeNASCAR Hall of Fame member Darrell Waltrip (left) and ARCA Racing Series driver Thomas "Moose" Praytor of Mobile auction Praytor's AJ McCarron/Alabama football racing helmet at Race Fever, the fundraiser for the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind held annually at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, on Friday, May 3, 2013. (Courtesy of Max Force Racing)

TALLADEGA, Alabama - Thomas "Moose" Praytor has had better weeks in racing, at least where his on-track results are concerned. On April 28, a wreck knocked him out a third of the way through the ARCA Racing Series event at Salem Speedway, and he settled for a 21st-place finish. Five days later at the ARCA race at Talladega Superspeedway, the Mobile driver spent some time mixing it up with the leaders, but an accident eight laps from the checkered flag relegated Praytor to a 22nd-place finish.

After that race, he had to help fix his No. 2 Realtor Ford enough so it could be rolled onto his team's trailer. Then he had to attend Race Fever, the annual fundraiser for the Alabama Institute of Deaf and Blind at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on Friday night.

"I really was about as low as a driver can go," Praytor said in a press release. "We had torn up two cars in five days, my head was killing me, it was pouring down rain, I was soaking wet and I was really looking for a deep hole to crawl in to."

"But it took about two seconds of being with the AIDB kids, and they were the best medicine to make all of that go away. What an incredible spirit and energy they have."

View full sizeThe No. 2 Ford, driven by Thomas "Moose" Praytor, collides with the car of Darrell Basham during the ARCA Racing Series International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala., on Friday, May 3, 2013. (AP Photo)

Praytor was at the fundraiser to help with the auction the AJ McCarron/Alabama football tribute racing helmet that he'd worn in his ARCA events at Daytona, Mobile and Talladega this season.

Praytor joined NASCAR Hall of Famer member Darrell Waltrip on the stage to auction off his G-Force Racing helmet, which had been autographed by Praytor and McCarron, the Alabama quarterback who played football at St. Paul's with Praytor.

"Being on stage with Mr. Darrell is like being in the draft for the first time," Praytor said. "It looks easy on TV, but in person you have your hands full. The man is a legend, and he is building up me, the helmet and AJ. By the time he got through, I was ready to bid on the helmet myself.

The auction winner, Jay Phillips, paid $1,100 for the helmet.

"As an Alabama driver, I'm really proud to be able to contribute to AIDB's Race Fever," Praytor said. "It's important to be able to give back whenever we can.

"I'm looking forward to next year. If AJ and the Tide roll again, we'll need another helmet."

Praytor also signed autographs and participated in a motorized ice-chest race against former Auburn place-kicker Al Del Greco as part of the activities.

Praytor and his Max Force/Hixson Motorsports team return to the track on May 19 in the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Toledo Speedway. The race will be televised live on SPEED at 1 p.m.